Batchometer



N. M. HOSENDAHL.

BATCHOMETER.

APPLHIMIGH FILED N0v.24.1916.

.1 ,336,586. Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Z SHEETS-SHEET I.

' flaw/J27 N. M. ROSENDAHL.

BATCHOMETER; APPLICATION men uov.24. ms. 1,336,586.v Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

' 2 swans-sneer 2. EM 7 [7a f 1T a g 14 19 1 z 1 T IIIIIIII UNITED STATES PATENT NILS M. ROSENIDAHL, 0F WIN'I'HROP HARBOR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK C.

AUSTIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

narcnomn'rna.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application filed November 24, 1916. Serial No. 133,257.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NILS M. ROSENDAHL, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Batchometers, of which the following is a specification.

This is an improvement on the construction shown and claimed in In prior application, Serial No. 11.174, filed Klarch 1, 1915, improvement in mixing machine indicator.

My invention relates to devices for use in conjunction with a rotary mixing machine, to indicate when the batch is finished, so that the attendant can do the necessary things after the mixing receptacle has rotated the required number of times, and whereby the batches may be counted, thus making it unnecessary for the attendant to make a record of the number of'batches, and insuring greater uniformity in the mixing of the materials, as successive batches will each be the product of the same number of rotations of the mixer, assuming that the attendant responds to the signal each time and properly controls the mixer as soon as the batch is finished. or at least will not be insufliciently mixed.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved device of the foregoing general character.

A special object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby a segmental ratchet may be employed to advantage in the automatic counting of the rotations of the mixer.

Another object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby the giving of the signal indicating that the batch is finished, will be accompanied by the automatic shutting off of the supply of water to the rotary mixing receptacle, and whereby the raising of the hopper into position to discharge the fresh materials into the mixing receptacle, will automatically turn on the water again.

Another object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby the raising of the hopper to discharge the fresh materials into the mixing receptacle, will serve automatically to restore the ratchet mechanism to an operative condition. it being understood that the giving of the signal indicating that the batch is finished. is accompanied by an operation which automatically renders the ratchet mechanism inoperative, so that said mechanism is then not susceptible to further operation by any surplus rotations of the mixing receptacle over and above the number required for the proper mixing of the batch. i

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and desirability of a measuring instrument or batehometer (this being the name by which they are now known) of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rotary mixing machine equipped with a measuring instrument or batchometer embodying the principles of my invention;

Fig 2 is an enlarged side elevation of said instrument. with one side of the inclosing box removed to bring the ratchet mechanism into view, and showing the connections between this mechanism and the water supply pi 3e and the loading hopper;

ig. 3 is a side elevation of said ratchet mechanism, on a still larger scale, showing the positions of the parts immediately after the mechanism has been rendered inoperative and the signal has been given to indicate that the batch is finished;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 44 in Fig. 3;

F ig. 5 is a vertical section on line in v Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detailed vertical section on line 6-6 in Fig. 3.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a mixing machine having a rotary receptacle A, of any suitable character. Suitable means, including the horizontal shaft a, are provided for rotating this receptacle. A. hopper B is hinged at Z) to one side of the body frame of said machine, and is provided with a raising and lowering connection 1 of any suitable character. The materials to be mixed, such as cement and ravel and sand, are loaded into the hopper I5 and the latter is then raised to the osition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. his charges the fresh materials into the mixing receptacle A, and after being thoroughly mixed in the latter, the batch is then discharged from the machine by a spout D leading therefrom. This may be any of the well-known forms of discharge-spout with which machines of this kind are commonly provided, it being observed that said spout and said hopper are disposed at opposite sides of the rotary mixing receptacle. A water pipe E is fixed in position to supply water to the chute e, which receives the discharge from the hopper, and which then delivers the materials directly to the mixing receptacle.

The measuring instrument or batchometer, as shown and described, is as follows: box F is mounted in suitable position on the body frame C of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1, and provided internally with a segmental ratchet member f, which is pivoted at 2 on any suitable support within the box. This member f has its periphery provided with ratchet teeth 3, an also with a series of holes 4, said teeth being enga ed by the ratchet pawl or do 5, and also %y the detent 6, the latter being pivoted on any suitable support. The pawl or dog 5 is pivoted on the upper end of the vertically reciprocating rod 7 which latter extends downward through the box and is provided with a compression spring 8 which yieldingly resists the upward movement of this rod. A bell crank lever G is pivoted at g upon any suitable support within the box, and is provided with an engaging portion 9 at the right hand end thereof. A cam-like member 10 is pivoted at 11 upon any suitable support within the box anfid has its lower portion provided with a notch 12 to receive the engaging portion 9 of the bell crank lever. This member 10 has its lower end formed with a cam portion 13, and has an outer edge 14 extending along the line of the teeth 3 of the segmental rack. A pin 15 is removably inserted in any one of the holes 4, depending upon how many rotations of the mixing receptacle A are desired for the batch, this pin extending outward at the back of the segmental rack f, and the member 10 being also arranged immediately back of this rack and near the upper end thereof. A simi lar pin 16 is removably inserted in any one of said holes, depending upon the hole in which the pin 15 is inserted, but this pin 16 extends outward on the front side of the rack f, whereby this pin 16 is adapted to engage the arm 17 of the bell crank lever H, which latter is pivoted at h on any suitable support within the box. The bell crank 1ever G is provided with an upstanding arm 18, to which is connected the horizontally disposed rod 19 extending to the vicinity of the previously described loading hopper. The left hand end of the lever G is connected by a rod 20 with the register 21, which latter may be of any suitable character. Normally open electrical contacts 22 are disposed immediately below the left hand end of the bell crank lever G, so that these contacts will be closed, and signal 23 thereby operated at the same time that the register 21 is operated by the downward movement of this end of said lever. The neck portion 24 of the ratchet rack f normally rests on a stop 25, and this stop is connected by a spring 26 with the lever (i at a point to the left of the pivotal point 9 of this lever, so that this spring has a constant tendency to draw the left hand end portion of this lever downward. A spring 27 may be provided and arranged in a suitable manner to yieldingly hold the notch 12 of the cam-like member 10, in engagement with the end portion 9 of the bell crank lever Gr, whereby the notch 12 and the portion 9 will immediately reengage as soon as the rod 19 is pulled to the right to rock the bell crank lever G, in a manner that will be readily understood. For the operation of the ratchet mechanism, a rod 7 has its lower end connected with a horizontally disposed lever 28, which is pivoted on the body frame at 29 and which is provided with a roller 30 to engage the cam 31 on the previously mentioned shaft (1, so that rotation of this shaft serves to reciprocate the rod 7 up and down, thereby causing the ratchet awl or dog 5 to operate 95 the rack 7 intermittently or in a step by step manner. The rod 19 is connected with a lever 32 pivoted on the body frame U of the machine, and said lever has its lower end connected with a horizontally disposed 103 push pin 33 arranged in a position to be engaged by the bracket 34 on the loading hopper when the latter is raised into discharging position. Preferably, the rod 35 connects the upper end of the bell crank H with 105 the water valve 36 in the previously mentioned pipe E, and a continuation 37 of this rod forms another push pin which is engaged by the end portion 38 of said bracket on the hop er.

The met 0d of use is as follows: It having been decided how many rotations of the mixer are necessary or desirable for the. proper preparation of the batch, the pin 15 is placed accordingly in one of the holes 4 115 in the segmental rack of the ratchet mechanism. The pin 16 is then, of course, placed in the hole just above the pin 15, whereby when the pin 15 strikes the cam 13 the pin 16 will at the same time engage the arm 17 12 0 of the bell crank lever ll, so that notch 12 may be disengaged from the portion 9 of the lever G. and whereby at the same time bell crank lever H will cause endwise movement of rod 35 to close the valve 36 and turn 12.3 oil the water. Spring 26 draws the left hand end of lever G downward, causing the engaging portion 9 to assume a position a little above the notch 12, and causing the operation of the register 21 and the signaling 13 in Fig. 3.

device 23 in a manner that will be readily operate the same, it follows that these pins understood. The outward swing of the member 10 toward the bell crank lever H by the engagement of the pin 15 with the cam portion 13 on the lower end of said member, will cause the edge portion 14 of this member to lift the dog 5 and the detent (5 out of the engagement with the teeth 3 of rack f, thereby releasing this rack and allowing it to fall back until its neck portion 24 again rests upon the stop 25, so that the parts will then be in the position shown mechanism is inoperative, inasmuch as the ratchet pawl 5 is out of engagement with the teeth 3 so that any further actuation of this pawl, caused by the continued or surplus rotation of the receptacle A after the signal 23 is operated and before the delivery of the fresh charge by the hopper, will not move the segment F upward. In other words, the pawl or do 5 will simply slide up and down on the e ge 14 of the member 10, and this action Wlll continue (if the mixer continues to rotate) until the devices are restored by the upward movement of the loading hopper. \Vhen the hopper B is raised to discharging position, by the connection 1, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the bracket 34 engages the push rods 33 and 37, thereb causing the restoration of the bell crank to normal position, and the automatic opening of the valve 36, and also causing the restoration of bell crank G to normal position, allowing the portion 9 to re'e'ngage the notch 12, whereby the ratchet mechanism and the entire instrument is then ready for operation to measure the rotations of the mixing receptacle for the next batch, and to give a signal and register the new batch as soon as the requisite number of rotations is completed. Of course, machines of this kind are commonly provided with means for starting and stopping the rotation of the mixer at will.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a comparatively simple mechanism is provided for enabling the attendant to know when the batch is finished, for counting the number of batches, and for automatically controlling a supply of water to the mixing receptacle, thus insuring greater uniformity and less waste of time and labor and materials in the mixing of the batches, as well as more satisfactory results generally. The mixer may rotate after the signal, and before the discharge of the mixture, as the discharge is not automatic, but these surplus rotations will not be counted, and in any event the materials will not be insufliciently mixed.

As the pins 15 and 16 are mounted on a movable member which is actuated intermittently, and as these pins engage the movable parts to periodically or intermittently In this condition, the ratchet.

are in the nature of tappets for the member 10 and the bell crank duce the desired results.

\Vith the construction shown and described, it will be seen that the pin 16 for controlling the water-supply can be set ahead, if desired, to turn off the water before the batch is finished. On the other hand, the said pin 16 can be Withdrawn, or placed in such position that the water will not be turned off at all, so that the supply of water will continue after the batch is finished and durnig any surplus rotations of the mixer over and above the predetermined number of rotations necessary for the batch.

My invention, of course, is not limited to the exact construction shown and described.

Broadly considered, of course, the element G is a controller, inasmuch as its function is to control not only the signal controlling contacts 22, but also the register 21, and one feature of the invention, it will be seen,

glperating to prois the automatic restoration of this controller by the raising of the hopper into charging position. Also, it will be seen that the element H, as shown and described, is a valve controller, inasmuch as it is this eh ment which opens and closes the valve. Another feature of the invention. as explained. is the automatic restoration of this valve controller to normal position by the raising of the charging hopper into charging position. As shown, the restoration of these two controllers is brought about by engagement of the rods 33 and 37 with the portions 34 and 38, but the invention is not limited to the exact construction shown and described, and the restoration of these controllers by the raising of the hopper, or at the time the hopper is raised, can be accomplished 111 any suitable or desired manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An instrument of the class described, comprising a pivoted member having a row of ratchet teeth curved about the axis of said member, a ratchet pawl to engage said teeth, a signal controller, an element for rendering said pawl inoperative, so that said member is then free to return to normal position, and to prevent further actuation of said member while said pawl continues in operation, said element being adapted and arranged to hold said controller in condition for the operation thereof, a tappet to engage said element and thereby render said pawl inoperative and cause the operation of said controller as soon as a predetermined number of operations of said pawl is completed, and means whereby said tappet is adjustable to certain )redetermined positions along said row of ratchet teeth.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1,

said controller including a lever held in position by engagement with said element, and a spring to operate the controller when said lever is released by the actuation of said element.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said tappet consisting of a pin, and said. member having a curved row of holes for said pin, which row of holes extends parallel with said row of teeth.

at. A structure as specified in claim 1, a valve controller, and means whereby said valve controller is automatically operated by said pivoted member when the step-bystep operation thereof is finished.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, a valve controller, means whereby said valve controller is automatically operated by said pivoted member when the step-by-step operation thereof is finished, a movable charging hopper, and" means whereby said valve controller and said element are returned to normal position by moveme iit of said hopper into discharging position.

b. A structure as specified in claim 1, a movable charging hopper, and connections whereby said controller and said element are restored to operative position by movement of said hopper into discharging position.

7. A structure as specified in claim 1, said controller including a pivoted lever, a spring to actuate said lever when released by said element, and a register operated by said lever to count the operations of said controller.

8. In combination with" a rotary mixer, a controller, mechanism operated by the mixer to automatically operate said controller upon the completion of a pre-determined number of rotations of said mixer, to indicate that the batch is finished, having provisions for adjustment to advance or delay the operation of said controller for a greater or less number of rotations of the mixer, a charging hopper for said mixer, and means operated by movement of said hopper into charging position to automatically restore said controller to condition for operation thereof by said mechanism.

i). In combination with a rotary mixer, a watcr-supplypipe valve-device, mechanism operated by the mixer to automatically control said device upon the completion of a predetermined number of rotations of the mixer, to turn off the water, having provisions for adjustment to advance or delay the operation of said device for a greater or less number of rotations of the mixer, a charging hopper for said mixer, and means operated by movement of said hopper into charging position to automatirally restore said device to condition for control thereof by said mechanism.

10. In combination with a rotary mixer,

means including a Water-supply pipe valvedevice to supply water continuously to the mixer during the rotation thereof, and mechanism operated by the operation of the mixer to automatically close said valve upon the completion of a predetermined number of rotations of said mixer, so that said valve remains open until said number of rotations is completed, having means of adjustment to shorten or lengthen the operations of said mechanism to advance or delay the turning-off of the water for a greater or less number of rotations of the mixer.

11. The structure of claim 8, as specified, having automatically acting means to render. said mechanism inoperative and to thereby prevent further operation thereof during any surplus or further rotation of the mixer after the operation of the controller and before the delivery of the fresh charge by said hopper.

12. The structure of claim 8, as specified, having automatically acting means to render said mechanism inoperative and to thereby prevent further operation thereof during any surplus or further rotation of the mixer after the completion of the batch and before the delivery of the fresh charge by said hopper.

13. The structure of claim 9, as specified, said mechanism having automatically acting means to prevent further operation thereof during any surplus rotation of the mixer after the closing of said valve and before the delivery of the fresh charge by said hopper.

14. The structure of claim 10, as specified, said mechanism having automatic means to prevent further operation thereof during any surplus or further rotation of the mixer while said valve is closed and before the mixer is again charged for another mixture.

15. The structure of claim 8, as specified, said mechanism having automatic means to prevent further operation thereof during any surplus rotation of the mixer after the operation of said signal and before the mixer is again charged for another mixture.

16. The structure of claim 8, as specified. having automatic means to render said mechanism inoperative and to thereby prevent further operation thereof during any surplus rotation of the mixer after the completion of the mixing operation and before the mixer is again charged for another mixture.

17. The structure of claim 9, as specified, in combination with automatic means to prevent further operation thereof during any surplus rotation of the mixer after the closing of said valve and before the mixer is again charged for another mixture.

18. In combination with a rotary mixer, a controlling device, mechanism operated by the mixer to automatically control said device upon the completion of a pre-determined number of rotations of said mixer, to indicate that the batch is finished, a charging be per for said mixer, means to operate said hopper, and means operated by movement of said hopper into charging position to automatically restore said device to condition for "control thereof by said mechanism.

19. In combination with a rotary mixer, a registering device, mechanism operated by the mixer to automatically control said device upon the-completion of a pre-determined number of rotations of said mixer, a charging hopper for said mixer, means to operate said hopper, and means operated by movement of said hopper into charging position to automatically control said device.

20. In combination with a rotary mixer, a water-supply-pipe valve-device, mechanism operated by the mixer to count the rotations and to automatically control said device upon the completion of a pre-determined number of rotations of said mixer, to turn off the water, a charging hopper for said mixer, and means operated by movement of said hopper into charging position to automatically restore said device to condition for control thereof by said mechanism. O

21. In combination with a rotary mixer, a water-Suppl -pipe valve-device, mechanism operated y the mixer to count the rotations and to automatically close said valve upon the completion of a pre-determined number of rotations of said mixer, when the batch is finished, and means to auto matically open the valve.

22. In combination with a rotary mixer, a signal device, mechanism operated by the mixer to automatically control said device upon the completion of a pre-determined number of rotations of said mixer, thereby to indicate that the batch is finished, having intermittently operated means to count the rotations until the pre-determined number is reached, means to automatically stop the counting operation, and means whereby said mechanism is automatically restored to normal condition by the introduction of materials into said mixer for the next batch.

23. In combination with a rotary mixer, a registering device, mechanism operated by the mixer to automatically control said device upon the completion of a pre-determined number of rotationsof said mixer, having intermittently operated means to count the rotations 0ne-by-one until the predetermined number is reached, a charginghopper for said mixer and means operated by movement of said hopper to automatically control said device.

24. In combination with a rotary mixer, a

\vater-supply-pipe valve-device, mechanism operated by the mixer to automatically control said device upon the completion of a pre-determined number of rotations of said mixer, to turn off the water, having intermittently operated means to count the successive rotations until the predetermined number is reached, a charging hopper for said mixer, and means operated by movement of said hopper into delivery position to automatically restore said device'to condition for control thereof by said mechanism.

25. In combination With a rotary mixer, a water-supplypipe valve-device, and mechanism operated by the mixer to automatically close said valve upon the completion of a pre-determined number of rotations of said mixer, when the batch is finished, havin means to count the rotations one-by-one an thereby indicate the number of completed rotations at any time until the predetermined number is reached, and means to automatically signal the turning ofi of the water.

26. The structure of claim 18, as specified, having a valve to control the supply of water to the mixer, means operated y said mechanism to automatically close said valve, and provisions for adjustment thereof to advance or delay the closing of said valve, so that the water may be turned off either sooner or later before the signal.

27. The structure of claim 19, as specified, having a valve to control the supply of water to the mixer, means operated by said mechanism to automatically close said valve, and provisions for adjustment thereof to advance or delay the closing of said valve relative to the time fixed for registering the batch.

28. In combination with a rotary mixer, a water-supply-pipe valve-device,- and mechanism operated by the mixer to automatically close said valve upon the completion of a pre-determined number of rotations of said mixer, so that said valve remains 0 en and undisturbed by the operation of sai mechanism until after the desired number of rotations is completed, having means of adjustment to advance or delay the closing of said valve, and means to automatically open said valve.

29. In combination with a rotary mixer, mechanism to automatically count the predetermined number of rotations necessary for the batch, during the mixing operation, having provisions to render the mechanism inoperative when the pre-determincd number is reached, a charging hopper. and means operated by said charging hopper to auto matically restore said mechanism to operativecondition.

30. In combination with a rotary member, a ratchet pawl, means operated by said member and whereby said ratchet pawl is actuated once by each rotation of said member, a toothed ratchet member mounted to turn on an axis and actuated forward by said ratchet pawl, a signaling device for operation when said toothed ratchet member reaches a predetermined point in its rotary movement about said axis, and means operated by said toothed-ratchet member to disengage said ratchet pawl therefrom, so that.

sald member will return backward to normal position.

Signed b- 4th day of me at Chicago, Illinois, this ovember, 1916.

NILS M. ROSENDAHL. 

